Chapter Two
Defining Occult Crime: The Perpetrators,
Their Actions, and The Victims.

25

Chapter Three
Investigating Occult Crime:
The Law Enforcement Perspective.

43

Conclusion.

57

Bibliography.

61

INTRODUCTION

Occult-
the word encourages a myriad of stereotypical images - the
snaggle-toothed old hag casting evil spells, the evil heretics
worshipping the dark forces of Satan or the hedonist Pagan reveling in
nocturnal orgies. The contemporary strength of such stereotypes is the
most effective rationale for providing law enforcers with a basic and
accurate primer on occult practices as well as their widely
misunderstood and diverse belief systems.

Indeed, any officer investigating an alleged occult crime
must be
armed with a clear definitional understanding of the occult and the
wide range of occult activities currently practiced in the United
States. He or she must also be able to make a clear distinction between
the legal activities of occultists and any illegal crimes committed in
conjunction with an occult ritual. Finally, as veteran "occult cop" of
the San Francisco Police Department, Sandi Galiant adamantly insists,
investigators must "shed their personal and religious prejudices when
they deal with the occult" lest they tread upon the foundations of the
First Amendment. (Gallant Interview with the author, April 3, 1989.)

These
are no easy tasks in the face of widespread allegations about heinous
occult crimes. This study was conceived and designed to simplify such
tasks for the law enforcer by broadening his or her basic understanding
of occult activity and occult crime; explaining the complex
controversies that currently surround and confound law enforcement's
jurisdiction over occult activity and occult crime; describing useful
investigatory techniques shared by "occult cops" (the street jargon for
law enforcement investigators of the occult) from departments across
the nation; and suggesting a wide variety of resources that may be
contacted for further assistance.

The Problem

If you
ask the small but experienced group of occult investigators who have
worked the occult crime beat throughout the 1980s, most will agree that
both occult activity and occult crime are problems for law enforcers
across the nation. But that is about all they will agree upon.
Disagreement abounds over a myriad of issues surrounding the occult,
the first and foremost being the extent of occult crime. Many law
enforcers argue that occult criminal activity is widespread and
warrants further law enforcement resources; others submit that while
people perceive the existence of occult crime, in reality, very little
is actually committed.

Thus, the real issue law enforcers must
face today is not proving or disproving the extent of occult crime.
Instead, law enforcers must deal with the fact that a growing segment
of the American population perceives occult activity and occult crime
are major problems in society, and this concerned public expects law
enforcers To do something about it!" Like it or not, law enforcers will
increasingly be drawn into the world of the occult.

What really
matters, then, is this perception, this fear that the occult and its
various legal and illegal activities have permeated the nation and
threaten our social, emotional and spiritual foundations. We need to
examine these perceptions by historically and contemporarily defining
occult activity, drawing careful distinctions between occult activity
and occult crime, learning what motivates some people to become
involved in the occult and some occultists to enter the world of
criminality, and comprehending the controversies surrounding this
emotional topic. Once these perceptions are dissected and understood,
law enforcers will have a clearer idea of their roles in relation to
occult activity and crime.

Methodology

This study is based upon five primary sources of information:

1. Monographs, studies and books dealing with
certain aspects of the occult;

2.
Individuals whose professional and/or personal lives have drawn them
into the world of the occult: law enforcers, prosecutors, therapists,
researchers, journalists, clergy members, and victims;

3. Organizations at the local, state and national level
that provide occult-related information and services;

4.
Local, state and federal government agencies that have conducted
relevant hearings and/or studies; and 5. Training seminars, workshops,
and community meetings devoted to occult topics, as well as the various
materials generated for such presentations.

5. Training seminars,
workshops, and community meetings devoted to occult topics, as well as
the various materials generated for such presentations.

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